The present technique relates generally to heat treatment systems and, more particularly, to industrial finish curing systems. In specific, a system and method is provided for developing a heat treatment process for an industrial infrared oven using a model infrared oven and heat profile scaling factors.
Heat treatment processes are often used to alter the material characteristics of a structure or a surface material applied to the structure. For example, finish coatings, such as paint, are often applied to a product and subsequently cured via radiative-heating ovens. Industrial radiative-heating ovens are typically large, stationary, and intended for actual production lines, such as for curing paint applied to an automobile. In order to develop a heat treatment process, the actual industrial oven is typically used to test the effects of different heating times, levels, and so forth. Unfortunately, process development using the actual industrial oven is time-consuming, expensive, and it results in downtime from actual production.
Accordingly, a technique is needed for replicating the heat profile of the industrial radiative-heating oven in a model radiative-heating oven.
A system and method for developing a heat treatment process using a model radiative-heating oven, which repeatably and accurately simulates an industrial heat treatment system. In order to simulate the industrial heat treatment system, the model radiative-heating oven uses a variety of scaling factors, such as heating density parameters. The model radiative-heating oven also may have a quickly openable and closable object carrier, which facilitates a timely start and end of a desired heat treatment process. An oven temperature stabilizer also may be provided for thermally stabilizing the model radiative-heating oven prior to the desired heat treatment process. The present technique also may utilize a variety of heat profile controls, such as time, temperature, and power levels, to provide the desired heat profile in the heat treatment process.